Elliot's Woodpecker Dendropicos elliotii Scientific name definitions

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Elliot's Woodpecker (Johnston's)

c. 20–21 cm. Male  has black forehead and crown, red hindcrown and nape; rest of head, including crown sides, light gray-green, indistinct dark malar line formed by blackish streaks; white chin and throat  washed olive; entire upperparts plain green with brownish tinge; brown flight-feathers broadly edged bronzy-green on outer webs, white on inner webs; uppertail blackish, feathers edged green; underparts pale greenish-yellow, breast and flanks with very fine, very sparse darker streaks (streaks often absent); underwing and undertail pale; medium-sized bill broad, usually grayish to black, often tipped yellowish, paler lower mandible; iris red-brown to red; legs gray to greenish with olive or brown tinge. Female lacks red on head, has has forehead to nape entirely black. Juvenile is duller overall, more streaked below, male with red extending to crown.

Elliot's Woodpecker (Elliot's)

c. 19–22 cm (1 Borrow, N., and R. Demey (2001). Birds of Western Africa. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ); 32–40 g. Male  has black forehead and forecrown, red hind­crown and nape, reddish-buff lores; crown sides and rest of head buff, rear ear-coverts and neck sides  tinged greenish, very thin dark malar line; white chin and throat narrowly streaked olive; entire upperparts plain green with bronze or brownish tinge; brown flight-feathers broadly edged bronzy-green on outer webs, white on inner webfs; uppertail brownish-green, feathers edged green, outer rectrices occasionally barred buff at base; pale yellowish to yellow-brown below  with broadly brown or olive streaks, often becoming bars on flanks and belly; underwing yellowish white; undertail yellow-brown; bill longish, broad, grayish to black, often tipped yellowish, paler lower mandible; iris red-brown to red; legs gray or green, tinged olive or brown. Female has forehead to nape entirely black. Juvenile duller overall, more streaked below, with browner eyes, male with red on crown, female red on rear crown.

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Elliot's Woodpecker (Johnston's)

Sometimes (with elliotii) placed in a separate genus Mesopicos along with African Gray Woodpecker (Dendropicos goertae), Mountain Gray Woodpecker (Dendropicos spodocephalus) and Olive Woodpecker (Dendropicos griseocephalus) (2 Dickinson, E. C., and J. V. Remsen, Editors (2013). The Howard and Moore Complete Checklist of the Birds of the World. Fourth edition. Volume 1. Aves Press, Eastbourne, UK. Close ); in the past, sometimes separated (with elliotii) in genus Polipicus. Generally regarded as conspecific with elliotii, and birds on Mt. Kupé, here recognized as subspecies kupeensis, have been considered a hybrid population; re-examination and re-measurement of specimens, however, show that kupeensis, while intermediate in tail length between the other two, is very close in wing length to johnstoni but has bill length shorter than that of johnstoni, indicating that it is not hybrid but merits status as a subspecies of johnstoni. On this basis, present subspecies differs from elliotii in having no or only light streaking below (3); tail mainly blackish vs mainly same green as upperparts (2); greener, less buffy face (supercilium and ear-coverts) (1); smaller bill and shorter tail (effect size for tail when compared with elliotii and kupeensis combined −2.2; hence 2). Other named subspecies are schultzei (Bioko Island) and sordidatus (Oku district, in Bamenda Highlands of Cameroon), both of which seem indistinguishable from johnstoni. Two subspecies currently recognized.

Elliot's Woodpecker (Elliot's)

Sometimes (with johnstoni) placed in a separate genus Mesopicos along with African Gray Woodpecker, Mountain Gray Woodpecker and Olive Woodpecker (2 Dickinson, E. C., and J. V. Remsen, Editors (2013). The Howard and Moore Complete Checklist of the Birds of the World. Fourth edition. Volume 1. Aves Press, Eastbourne, UK. Close ); in the past, sometimes separated (with johnstoni) in genus Polipicus. Generally regarded as conspecific with johnstoni, and birds on Mt. Kupé (western central Cameroon), here recognized as subspecies kupeensis, have been considered a hybrid population; re-examination and re-measurement of Mt. Kupé specimens, however, show that this population, while intermediate in tail length between the other two, is very close in wing length to johnstoni but has bill length shorter than that of johnstoni, indicating that it is not hybrid but merits status as a subspecies of johnstoni (kupeensis). On this basis, present subspecies differs from johnstoni in having heavy vs no or only light streaking below (3); tail mainly same green as upperparts vs mainly blackish (2); more buffy, less greenish face (supercilium and ear-coverts) (1); larger bill and longer tail (effect size for tail when compared with johnstoni and kupeensis combined 2.2; hence 2). Angolan birds formerly recognized as subspecies gabela or angolensis, but they differ from other populations barely, if at all. Monotypic.

Elliot's Woodpecker (Elliot's)

Lowland southwestern Cameroon and southwestern Central African Republic discontinuously to Gabon and western Angola (Cuanza Norte south to Benguela), and east across western, southern central and northeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo to southwestern and eastern Uganda (Kibale south to Bwindi Forest, also Mt. Elgon), western Rwanda and western Burundi.

Elliot's Woodpecker (Johnston's)

Mainly dense, damp, mature mossy highland forest.

Elliot's Woodpecker (Elliot's)

Dense primary forest, also swamp-forest (3 Dowsett-Lemaire, F., and R. J. Dowsett (1998). Further additions to and deletions from the avifauna of Congo-Brazzaville. Malimbus 20(1):15–32. Close ), gallery forest (4 King, T., Tyler, S. and Dallimer, M. (2004). Timing of moult and new species records of birds in the Lesio-Louna Reserve, Republic of Congo. Malimbus 26(1/2): 1-10. Close ) and secondary forest with tall trees. In moist, gloomy, mossy montane forest at up to 2,320 m in northeastern of range (Uganda), but generally below 1,500 m (5 Carswell, M., D. Pomeroy, J. Reynolds, and H. Tushabe (2005). The Bird Atlas of Uganda. British Ornithologists’ Club and British Ornithologists' Union, Oxford, UK. Close ); elsewhere, found from upland areas down to lowlands.

Elliot's Woodpecker (Johnston's)

Resident.

Elliot's Woodpecker (Elliot's)

Resident.

Elliot's Woodpecker (Johnston's)

Larvae of beetles, also other insects. Forages singly and in pairs; joins mixed-species flocks, occasionally with other woodpecker species. Searches at all levels of forest, including understory, spending usually only a short time at a single site before moving swiftly on. Pecks powerfully; probes into epiphytes (mosses) on branches and on very large leaves.

Elliot's Woodpecker (Elliot's)

Larvae of beetles, also other insects. Occurs singly or in pairs; joins mixed-species flocks, occasionally with other woodpecker species. Forages at all levels of forest, including understory. Moves rapidly , not staying for long at a single site. Pecks powerfully, and probes into epiphytes (mosses) on branches and on very large leaves.

Elliot's Woodpecker (Johnston's)

Shrill “bwe-bwe” notes and series reported, also softer “kiwik-kiwik-kiwik” (1 Borrow, N., and R. Demey (2001). Birds of Western Africa. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ); voice apparently similar to that of the African Gray Woodpecker (Dendropicos goertae). Weak drumrolls, reportedly like those of the Golden-crowned Woodpecker (Chloropicus xantholophus) (6 Fry, C. H., S. Keith, and E. K. Urban, Editors (1988). The Birds of Africa. Volume 3. Parrots to Woodpeckers. Academic Press, London, UK. Close ) but softer (1 Borrow, N., and R. Demey (2001). Birds of Western Africa. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ).

Elliot's Woodpecker (Elliot's)

Shrill “bwe-bwe” notes and series reported, or softer “kiwik-kiwik-kiwik” (1 Borrow, N., and R. Demey (2001). Birds of Western Africa. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ); voice apparently similar to that of the African Gray Woodpecker. Weak drumrolls, reportedly like the Golden-crowned Woodpecker (6 Fry, C. H., S. Keith, and E. K. Urban, Editors (1988). The Birds of Africa. Volume 3. Parrots to Woodpeckers. Academic Press, London, UK. Close ) but softer (1 Borrow, N., and R. Demey (2001). Birds of Western Africa. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ).

Elliot's Woodpecker (Johnston's)

Few details. Season probably at least October–November/December; juveniles seen in December and January on Bioko.

Elliot's Woodpecker (Elliot's)

Birds in breeding condition in September in Angola, in October–November in Cameroon; juveniles in November–February in Democratic Republic of the Congo. One nest-hole in Cameroon was 8 m up a tree. Clutch size unknown, but eggs white, size 22.3–22.6 mm × 17.8 mm, mass 3.9 g. No further information available.

Elliot's Woodpecker (Johnston's)

Not globally threatened (Least Concern). Generally not uncommon throughout much of its range; locally common. Global population not yet quantified. Numbers considered likely to be stable, as no evidence of any declines or substantial threats. Fieldwork required in order to ascertain this woodpecker’s breeding habits and biology. Occurs in a number of protected areas, e.g., Gashaka-Gumti Reserve (Nigeria) and Korup and Mount Kupé National Parks (Cameroon).

Elliot's Woodpecker (Elliot's)

​Not globally threatened (Least Concern). Generally uncommon, but perhaps locally common in west of range; uncommon in Angola and uncommon to rare in Uganda. Within its known range this species has a very patchy distribution; its true range may perhaps be more extensive than currently known. Global population has not yet been quantified, but numbers are thought to be stable in absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats. Research needed to determine details of this species’ breeding habits and biology. Occurs in several protected areas, e.g., Lesio-Louna Reserve and Odzala and Nouabalé-Ndoki National Parks (Congo), Impenetrable Forest and Kibale Forest National Parks (Uganda), Nyungwe Forest Reserve (Rwanda) and Kibira National Park (Burundi).